HTC unveiled its new 5G Mobile Smart Hub. Designed to “harness 5G speeds for home, business, and everywhere in between” the device stands out as one of the more unique devices on display at Mobile World Congress 2019.
HTC describes 5G Hub as, “a first-of-its-kind dedicated 5G mobile smart hub that commands the rapid speeds of the future. Designed for ease of use in both home and office environments, this versatile device enables smooth 4K video streaming, low-latency gaming, and 5G mobile hotspot features for up to 20 users.”
In other words, the HTC 5G Hub is effectively a 5G hotspot that allows people using various devices to all get on speedy 5G networks anywhere they are available. That means people who don’t have a phone or tablet with 5G built in can still access the new, super-speedy connectivity that is rolling out.
The HTC 5G Hub is more than just a super fast hotspot device. It has a 5” HD touchscreen making it easy to set up and configure and a large enough battery to keep the fast network connections going and going. It is a great idea that has the potential to make 5G speeds accessible to more people more quickly. Why does that matter? Simple, 5G speeds are dramatically faster than 4G LTE networks, but it will take some time before phones and tablets with built-in 5G speeds become commonplace.
HTC notes that there are two main use-cases for the 5G Hub.
At home as a home media center
Because it delivers next-gen 5G speeds, the 5G Hub will make it easier and faster to stream 4K videos at home. Moreover, it can also replace a Wi-Fi router. That means fast speeds and the ability to streamline your home setup and get rid of the jumble of cables most of us have coming to and from our home Wi-Fi routers. The set-up is made simple thanks to the ability of the 5G Hub to accept voice command and the included remote control makes it even quicker and easier to manage connectivity whether you are using it for entertainment and productivity. If you are a gamer, the 5G Hub will win you over thanks to its ultra-low-latency, 60fps, and 4K resolution. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform with the Snapdragon X50 5G Modem and antenna modules with integrated RF transceiver, RF front-end (RFFE) and antenna elements, the 5G Hub has a huge amount of bleeding edge tech packed into a small device. And since it will ship with Android 9 Pie as its operating system, the 5G Hub will not only provide fast speeds but it will be ideal for downloading and playing Android and PC games.
On the go as a mobile hub.
The 5G Hub has a huge 7,660mAh battery so it can provide connectivity on the go. In addition to employing the Snapdragon 855 Platform, it includes a Qualcomm 60GHz Wi-Fi chipset (based on the 802.11ad specification.) That translates to a device that can deliver multi-gigabit speeds and “wire equivalent” latencies when you are out and about. (Of course, that assumes a 5G connection is available.) It also has a Qualcomm 2×2 Wi-Fi 6-ready chipset so it is future-proof!
The 5G Hub is ideal for business travel since it can be used with up to 20 devices simultaneously. Moreover, it offers a secure connection and can be configured for use with a corporate VPN.
It’s also a great device as we move deeper into a world of VR. As Cher Wang, Chairwoman and CEO of HTC explains:
HTC is proud to bring to market the world’s first 5G mobile smart hub. 5G will be the game-changer for VR and AR, and the new HTC 5G Hub will seamlessly deliver the great bandwidth of 5G to our devices, driving our vision of Vive Reality—a boundless, immersive environment where human experiences will come to the forefront.
The device will be available in a variety of location around the globe and will be offered by carriers worldwide, including Sprint, Telstra, EE (UK), Three UK, Deutsche Telekom (Germany), Sunrise (Switzerland), and Elisa (Finland).
The HTC 5G Hub will be available through select retailers beginning in Q2 of 2019. You can learn more here.
